Musharraf may fly to UAE in May

| Ex-strongman’s aides say SHC to remove his name from ECL next month

LAHORE - Former president Pervez Musharraf can leave the country next month as he is expecting decision on his petition by Sindh High Court (SHC) concerning removal of his name from Exit Control List (ECL) in the first half of May, The Nation has learnt. Close circles of the former president told this correspondent on Tuesday that Pervez Musharraf who was expecting a favourable decision concerning his ECL petition in SHC next month could leave for UAE to visit his mother who has recently been discharged from a hospital after recovering from a serious respiratory problem. Musharraf’s lead council, Barrister Farogh Nasim, filed a petition in the SHC two days back for the removal of his client’s name from the ECL, pleading that the former president had obtained bails in all the cases against him and could go in any part of the world. When asked about the grounds on which the former president was expecting decision in his favour next month, close circles of Musharraf said the ex-military ruler’s legal eagles were upbeat about such a verdict by the first half of May or earlier. They added Musharraf, being very close to his mother, was perturbed over her health and wanted to see her at the earliest, so he would leave the country immediately after the SHC decision removing his name from the ECL. Aasia Ishaq, a close aide and spokesperson for Musharraf, when contacted, said, “The former president can go in any part of the country as he has been bailed out in all the ‘politically-motivated’ cases against him and that putting his name in the ECL is injustice to him. We are sure the SHC will provide justice to him very soon.” She added: “Though Musharraf hasn’t talked to me about his next visit to UAE, but a son can be stopped from seeing his mother whether she is ill or in good health.” Aasia maintained: “Musharraf will come back after meeting his mother as he has faced all the cases and will get a clean chit in the ‘politically-motivated’ cases.” She claimed the former president had come to Karachi for some medical tests and would go back to Islamabad after completion of his tests. About the fate of Musharraf-led All Pakistan Muslim League (APML) for whom she is also a spokesperson, Aasia said, “The APML is virtually dysfunctional at this stage as the former president has decided to pursue his political ambitions after he comes back from UAE and gets clean chit in the ‘politically-motivated’ cases.” Musharraf’s close aide said supporters of the former president were organising programmes on their own and APML’s reorganisation would only be decided by the party chief himself.

This news was published in The Nation newspaper. Read complete newspaper of 23-Apr-2014 here.